Plants in the wildlife garden are grown in their own right or because they are useful to garden animals. Wild flowers are the most desirable because animals have evolved alongside them (these are our focus here). However, some exotic plants and cultivated plants are useful too. Plants grown for animals e.g. for nectar or caterpillar food are best planted in groups. This makes them stand out and when animals arrive it is worth their while hanging around. You should never take seeds, cuttings or plants from the wild. Apart from being illegal in many cases, wildlife gardening is aimed at supplementing rather than depleting natural habitats.

Some favourite wild flowers are:

Bumblebees

Bugle, greater knapweed, purple loosestrife, yellow loosestrife, yarrow, red clover, white clover, sea holly, tansy, teasel, wood anemone and thrift.

Butterflies

Betony, bird's foot trefoil, cuckooflower, common knapweed, ragwort, common valerian, devilsbit scabious, corn cockle, cornflower, cowslip, sweet rocket, herb robert, sweet violet.

Moths (and bats)

These mostly night-scented plants will also attract other insects, and in turn, bats. Bladder campion, dame's violet, dandelion, golden rod, ragged robin, white campion, wood sage, rosebay willowherb, night-scented catchfly.

Hoverflies

Black medick, cranesbill, cuckoo flower, sweet rocket, fennel, golden rod, greater knapweed, honesty, tower mustard, yarrow, yellow-horned poppy.

Lacewings

Golden rod, stinging nettle.

Ladybirds

Stinging nettle, yarrow.

Beetles

Fat hen and lovage are favourites with ground beetles.

Squirrels

Beech, hazel, oak, scots pine, walnut.

Mice

Hawthorn, hazel, oak, plum.

Frogs

Frogs like any lush, moist vegetation which provides cover from predators. In the pond oxgenators and water liles are favourites.

Birds

Bramble, burdock, buttercup, common poppy, corn marigold, daisy, flax, foxglove, golden rod, greater knapweed, meadowsweet, perforate St. John's wort, primrose, ragwort, teasel.